Back from Africa!

When I looked at the last date on this blog, I was shocked to see that it was November 30th!  I think that this is the longest I've ever gone without a blog entry.  I'll blame it on the Christmas rush and our trip to Mozambique and South Africa, but now I'm back and everything is in full swing.

Although this is a jewelry blog, I am including some of the photos I took of the wildlife at Kruger in South Africa.  The animals roam free and will walk around you and your car (hopefully you IN your car; it is not recommended to get out).  I saw amazing things, including two hippos crashing into the water to take an evening dip - they swim like dolphins, lifting themselves partially out of the water - and real, live lions within 30 feet of me (5 of them at one time!).  The sights and sounds of Africa have already had an affect on the colours and lampwork beads I am using and I have just begun to translate experiences and sights into jewelry.

 

Above, the pattern of some fire agate stones reminds me of giraffes (Fire Agate Jewelry) while the Swarovski crystal bracelet below has the colouring of a lion.

 

The chalcedony bracelet, above, features lampwork beads with the giraffe pattern. Below, a chalcedony bracelet is the "zebra bracelet" for obvious reasons.

 

One of the most amazing things to me is that it can be so very, very hot and humid one place in the world and be so very cold in another, and that we can go from one to another in the span of two days!

Jewelry Trend: Majestic Purple

So much for thinking that I would write a post the next day! Life intervenes, and in this case, the blog suffered. However, I am back now with the next jewelry trends for Fall 2010. The colour is purple and here the gemstone is amethyst. The amethyst bracelets on the Cluny Grey Jewelry site range from pale amethysts which are known as "Cape Amethysts" to the dark nuggets you can see in the bracelet below. Above is an amethyst bracelet with lighter (although not "Cape") amethyst, clear and pretty, to dress up those purple outfits or add a new touch of purple for this Fall. The bracelet has 2 strands: one is amethysts and sterling silver while the second strand is one of our favorite sterling chains from the Thai Karen Hill Tribes. In contrast, the amethyst bracelet below features dark purple amethysts with a purple fluorite carved flower as the center. The next picture shows a pair of earrings with the same dark nuggets topped by filigree and hanging from filigree earwires.
If you are not a purple lover and new purple clothes won't be making their way into your wardrobe this season, the bracelet below may be just the touch you need to add for a pop of new colour and to update last year's outfits. These amethyst nuggets and the amethyst charms around the bracelet are complemented by special borosilicate lampwork beads that contain purple, shades of blue, and pinkish red. It's perfect for integrating a touch of purple with a red, blue, or pink outfit - and it also looks great with white.
The earrings above are some of our favorites because of the transparent nuggets, the gem-quality coins, and especially the posts which have a peacock pearl bezel set into the middle of a dome. They would look great worn with the amethyst bracelet, below, made with the same amethyst nuggets, with a pretty blue aquamarine nugget. The sterling silver bead has flowers in relief for a nice touch.
Below are lampwork earrings in purple (no amethysts). These gorgeous earrings feature lampwork beads from the same set as the amethyst bracelet pictured under them. A gorgeous rutilated quartz focal adds a touch of pale grey and elegance.
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Ruby: The July Birthstone

Rubies are wonderful! Most of the rubies that I get are an opaque colour and usually a dark red or a pinkish red. I wish that I could find more rubies in different sizes (especially larger sizes) and shapes, but I do jump on any opportunity to get some that look out of the ordinary.
Rubies belong to the corundum family of gemstones and are generally the most valuable of that type. They register a 9 on the Moh's scale (with ultimate hardness a 10), so they are a perfect gemstone for jewelry. Almost every ruby is enhanced in some way (unless you are dealing with very rough natural stones), and you can assume that most rubies are heat-treated.
The lore surrounding rubies is legend. Rubies are believed to be able to ward off evil, to protect health, and to imbue a warrior with strength and courage. A ruby under the pillow is supposed to ward off nightmares (I love that one!) And of course rubies represent romance and passion to this day.
The first ruby bracelet features a hexagonal ruby at its center and lots of sterling silver as well as a ruby cabochon bezel-set in the toggle clasp. The ruby bracelet, below, is quite simple and symmetrical. Below the bracelet are three pairs of ruby earrings featuring shield-shaped rubies, faceted rondelles (with great drum-shaped sterling beads), and smooth teardrops.
Lapis bracelets, below, are as deep and intense blue as the ruby bracelets and earrings are red. The first lapis bracelet is an especial favorite since it features 2 strands of variously shaped lapis stones and a Karen Hill Tribes strand dangling sterling silver charms. The second lapis bracelet features large, beautifully coloured lapis nuggets, smoothly polished and matched perfectly to some lampwork beads I commissioned from artist Robin Weber. Its pretty bird clasp makes it really special!

Stay cool, and stay tuned; my family, including my darling grand-daughter have left the country to be abroad. I'm going to have a lot of time on my hands!

Don't forget: FREE SHIPPING (first class, over $50.00 purchase; only $1.95 for under $50.00).

Gemstones and Abalone with a Necklace or Two

March is almost over, and it's cherry blossom time. For me, this means several different things: my darling grand-daughter will be one year old, Washington will be inundated with tourists (and traffic) hoping to find the perfect confluence of blossoms, warm weather and sunlight to view what is truly one of Nature's lovely sights, and I am a month closer to a trip to Africa.
For jewelry, it means that I'll be working on items for Mother's Day, graduation, prom, June weddings, and summer beaches. Meanwhile, I have an odd assortment of jewelry pieces today!
First, above is a chrysoprase bracelet featuring really lovely chunky faceted chrysoprase nuggets that are a bit different from others that I've seen because of the brown that has been deliberately saved and made a part of the green chrysoprase nugget. Dynamite with the right outfit! And the star of the bracelet is a vintage sterling silver clasp with an inset flower cabochon (glass). A pretty lampwork bead with a shot of soft pink and perfect small green nuggets of chrysoprase finish the bracelet.
Below are two abalone bracelets that both get a kick from added gemstones; the first bracelet features faceted turquoise rectangles (some of my best) in a pretty blue; the second bracelet has faceted thick ovals of aqua chalcedony. Both have charms and toggle clasp closures in sterling.
Sometimes I seem to neglect using a certain gemstone and my supply of jewelry pieces gets low; I know it's because I'll often start using a certain gemstone and won't want to put it down, so that I don't rotate my time with different gemstones. I've neglected using jade lately, and will be making up for it, starting with the bracelet that you see above. Jade doesn't just come in green, but in a slew of beautiful colours. Here the bracelet has the traditional jade green along with a pink that picks up the pink in the gorgeous lampwork beads. A carved flower in pink jade repeats the flower theme of one of the lampwork beads. Two strands mean that this bracelet makes a definite statement.
Another two-strand bracelet below features calcite and jasper as well as another of those vintage clasps made of sterling silver. Such a beautiful clasp means that no matter which way the bracelet turns, there is something lovely to see. This bracelet has a generous helping of sterling silver beads from Bali as well.

I am making more necklaces than I did in the past (I am such a bracelet person!). I love the agate necklace above made with white agate, Swaraovski crystals, and a fantastic geode druzy agate pendant (very in style today). A special lily bead with a string of Swarovski bicones adds a touch of the unusual to this necklace.
Prayer box necklaces have been a staple on the Cluny Grey Jewelry site, but the one you see here is different because the prayer box is cylindrical instead of square. Sterling crosses from different regions hang on either side; a crystal clear Swarovski cross represents purity and virtue. Because coral was an ancient Christian symbol for protection, I added a coral charm to one side of the prayer box. The closure is a sterling lobster clasp.
Another staple on the website is Austrian Crystal Earrings, but I'm especially fond of these silver shadow Swarovski earrings made with Graphic beads, pretty Bali flower beads, and some of my favorite sterling earwires that have intricate roses on the front.
The chrysoprase earrings below are a perfect match for the bracelet at the top of this post.For a lot of fun, upload a picture of yourself with your hair pulled back to ivillage.com's makeover (http://www.ivillage.com/makeover) beauty page and try on different hairstyles and makeup.

May: The Month of Emeralds

I adore emeralds: it's no secret. The emerald is my birthstone and I am delighted by its colours whether the palest green like pond water to the dark translucent greens that one can see in the Tower of London in the Crown Jewels of England. Emeralds also remind me of one of my favorite places, India, as do rubies. Say the phrase "emeralds and rubies" and India instantly springs to my mind with all its beauty, strangeness, and mystery.

It is a joy to work with emeralds whether they are gem quality or opaque or totally included and rustic. The very knowledge that they are emeralds still imbues them with mystery and exoticism (I have some very crude uncut emeralds that a friend brought me back from Mexico; they are rather rock-like, but I still cherish them).
I am still trying to organize my new studio, but did have some time for the emerald bracelets that you see here. As you can see, I do like mixing emeralds of different quality for a unique texture and range of colours. An AA emerald may be beside an included, opaque stone, but each acts as a foil for the other.
I will be writing more information on emeralds, their history and the beliefs surrounding them. By the way, the largest cut emerald is known as the Mogul Emerald, dates from 1695,and although it was discovered in Colombia was carved and set in, yes, India! I will be going to see it soon, for it belongs to the Smithsonian's National Gem and Mineral Collection.

Colour: Monochromatic or Mixed! CONTEST

I love to read passages that start with "there are two kinds of people in the world..." because of course there never are. But I am still always interested in the way many would divide the world and feel that their choices often reveal a great deal about themselves. So...there are two types of people in the world: those who like great expanses of one colour, with maybe a touch or two of another, the monochromatics, and those who prefer colours many and mixed. Now to show you how ridiculous such a statement is, I will announce that I am both. Of course, to add an element of veracity to the statement, I will say that when I dress, I prefer the monochromatic to the many: no prints, good solid colours that make a statement whether the statement is gentle, muted, loud, or strong. In jewelry, however, I love to mix as you can see from the unusual bracelet below. While I personally prefer to wear the aquamarine bracelet that you see above, I delight in creating and looking at the bracelet below. Circus colours, brightly coloured and patterned lampwork beads, and just a hint of sterling silver - can you hear the colour? It is a cacaphony. The aquamarine bracelet is music, beautiful, but definitely not the 1812 Overture. Debussy?
The last two pictures are of the same ruby necklace. If it were music, what would it be? Send me the name of a piece of music that you think would make a good name for this necklace and win a pair of Swarovski earrings in the colour of your choice!



If you are interested, not just in jewelry but in all types of art, see Best of Artists, a great site that concentrates on art from painting, pottery, and photography to sculpture and jewelry. And yes, yours truly has been listed: see, Best of Artists: Cluny Grey.

October Delights!

One very delightful thing about October is that the heat and humidity has finally let up a bit so that I am able to breathe! Respiratory illnesses abound where I live, a small town in the middle of a farming community, probably because of all the chemicals associated with farming (I call this month's chemicals, the cotton defoliants, Agent Orange), but the weather certainly aggravates the symptoms of these illnesses making it very difficult to breathe and an air purifier a must. I have been busy though, and have decided just to inundate you with pictures! So here goes:

Handmade necklace features the largest amethyst nuggets ever!

Unique bracelet (below) would look great with the necklace above. Celebrating my affinity for purple and green, this gemstone bracelet (called Move Over Mondrian) also features wonderful lampwork beads and marquise freshwater pearls.Amethyst earrings are always good to have around. Below is a unique braceletwith orange carnelian, lampwork beads from Lynn Nurge, and gorgeous lapis.

These dangle earrings would look great with the chunky bracelet of blue chalcedony and Sand Opal Swarovski you see below. Below that is another chunky bracelet created from leopardskin jasper and Grey Opal Swarovski crystals.


Finally, a sweet pair of pearl earrings made with those pretty marquise pearls that you saw in the bracelet above (Move Over Mondrian>.



To finish, pink opal earrings, large, elongated lapis earrings with sterling silver wire, and pretty aquamarine earrings topped with sterling butterflies from the Thai Karen Hill Tribes.

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